rogers



w. T. BOGERS.. I CHANGEABLE S|GN. -APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9,1920.

Patented Dee. 14,1920.

rIl Il ATTORNEYS.

W. T. ROGERS.

CHANGEABLE SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 9, |920.

Patea Dec. 14,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L Arron/vm W. T. ROGERS.

CHANGEABLE SIGN. MPLICA'TIONHLED 1AN.9. |920.

Patented De@.14,1920.

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n U01-W i l BY 4 ATTORNEYS.

WITNESS.-

' warren,` STATES lwrnnmitr ransom; noem, or KANSAS MIssoUm, ssIGNor. oF ONE-HALF To y VIRGIL n. Witmarsum F` KANsAsgcITY, MISSOUBL CHANGEABLE SIGN. i

Specification of Letters Patent. l Patgnted be@ 14, 1920.

sspneati'bn :nea nnury s, i920. seriarm. 350,363.

To all whom t may 'concern Be it known'that I, WILLIAM T. Roenes;

a citizen of ythellnited States, and resident of Kansas City, county of'Jackson, State of Missouri, have -invented a certain new ,and useful Improvement in .Changeable Signs, of which the.following is a complete specification. ,f'

The present invention relates to sign construction, andA aimstoprov-ide anim roved device of the so called animated or c angeable type ofs1gnin which I provide various i panels, together with mechanical operating'y novel features both in the manner .of mounting the different units of the sign and also in the manner of shifting these panels into their different display positions. i

Accordingly I have devised an improved sign structure comprising a series of sign means VJfor `shifting th'ese panels in a prede termined order fordisplaying the same in l different display positions which face in opposite directions, this mechanical means also operating to reverse each panel at the proper times for displaying both faces of the panel in each of the display positions.

In carrying out the invention, I providea series of anels adapted to be moved inl pairs into disp ay positions, where they occupy a coplanar relation to each other, in which display position one of the pair of panels is caused to displace the 'other While moving intoreverse position for displaying its opposite face, at which time also a third panel is brought into the position vacated by said reverse panel.

It is also sought to provide a construction of this character comprising units which can he multiplied to any desired extent, 4and without requiring any changes or alterations i the separate units for their joint assembly" other than their connection Witha joint driving mechanism.

A 'further object ofthe construction isto provide u device consisting, of a plurality set forth 'and claimed.

' vention;

.proposed improvement, after which the novel features therein will he particularly In the drawingsl* lgnre 1s a side elevation partly broken away, showing a changeable sign device constructed in accordance with the present in Fig. 2 is a plan view' of the same, with the motor omitte d i Fig; 3 is anmirregular sectional view, following in general the line 8-3 in Fig. "l,

one pair'of the sign panels support being .left in plan, with the panels omitted to show the manner of mounting the same;

Fig. lis a sectional View of one of the units of the device, being a section similar to that shown of the right unit in Fig. 3, but with-the parts in shifted position;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section takenonthe line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detailed section taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view representing the various relatively different positions assumed by the different panels of each unit of the device, and followingv saidchanges through an entire cycle. of the operation of suchlunits. v l

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the improved,construction is shown as coinprising` two. changeable sign units mounted within one frame structure 8, and operated A TNT orrice. i

Jfrom acommon drive mechanism, as illustinted in Figs. Land 2, and as each of said nnits is a duplicate of the other, the description will proceed With reference to one of the units with the understanding that the same referencecharacters apply to the core responding parts of the other.

to hack upon a pivoted supporting har 1() iviiioh is provided wis-ii iioehes il for enfeo ` i;oriioii extending oairieai oy s, pa'w-carrymg erin 3S which is the sections of eeen penoi gere seeurecl to# gether'iiy means of screws l2 in engagement with ings i3 depending from e pivoiel bar 14;, oi aiengtii approximately equal io the 'I width of the panel. The zipper pivote@ bars ii are pivoteiiy oonneciei :it their inici'. points io pins providedai she' comers of a rectangular' plaise 16, which late is fixed to a. Vertice-isiaft 17 supporieo in 4iolisliings 18- ai; ihe top and bottom of the frame 8.

At the opper-*end of the shaft i7 is secured a. spider frame 19, this frame being also of substantiaiiy. rectangular form the same as the plate l6, this being in View of the fact that in the 'Particular construction ilus- 'iratefi two pairs of sign poneis comprise thetotai number of panels for each unit of the device. Aocorciingly the frame 1.9 is provided with an upwardly projecting stop pin 20 et each of its 4corners9 one pin foreach pensi 9, these pins being adapted to be en gagged by a iiitolo member 2i, pivoted at 22' to die from@ 8 nini provideci with a spring i 3 for actuating che iai-effi into engagement with the Seremi 2G.

Driving vineclianisin is prei/idee? for ini-er miictentijy tripping or reieasing the iat'ciies Zi ami imparting' opartiai rotation' to einen of -he frames i@ and liei'oiay roteiin the shaft 1.7' for' Changing 'the positions'o; the eign poneis in each unit. This drive :mechan nisnil ooinprises s, motor E4 nionnied upon e suiiabie shelf over ille framework 8, andv driving a beit 25 which is trained over zi' groove Wheoi 27 on e shaft; 28 journfiled 'in a healing ramefQQ ai; olie-eend oi the frame 8., The siie 28 is provide with a worm 3Q A meshing Wiih e Worm-Wheel 3K1.. which roia'es on a vertozii airis proviclecby o sub* simili 353 proj upwardly from ille been ing ieme The Wheel 3i is providlei` with crank pin 33 for the application e suitable eonneoisinn rod 3i, lie'oiposite emi of which is for' .ed Wiii e reduced end Aronigh pivotal stud jonrnale "m lie opper end oi one .of the shafts l?. .The reduced end portion of the rod is iwiwitli e coil spring 37 held in posiion iijv' :i coter pin 38 This provides for e yieiciing sctnaiion ofthe drive from ythe connect-ing rod 34? and permits the crank pin 53.@ poss the center-of the Wheel 31 oven inv-the event haii this-takes place zit' n iniervitlssubseqiient to the springing of any finer-)fthe ialgohes 2l into engagement, with one of the pins 20. 11'; Ais also pointed out' illat @friction drive is provided between the l Wheel 27' and its shaft 28,y by interposing the i Vcoii spring. 59 between said Wheel and thera-me 29A; this alimenter of drive' will there fore-flot to relieve the lood on the motor n1 nach latch 2]., seid i'ienges extending@ niittingthe,#panel and the corresponding mais@ .case of my accident to the sign paris (irony obstruction to the changing movements oi thesign to be hereineiier ciesoribecl.

The stud 35 is connectecl by e bei' Il@ with anoher stud 4l on the zipper o-:i seoont; peril-carrying arm'y 3G which i" pivotlly mounted upon 'thenpper end oi iiie other shaft 17, it being 4noted that seid 36 'arey held yieldingiy in engagement Wiii the'hub' of the freine i9 by means .of a coil spring Ll2`retained in piece oy ineens of a. Washer 43 and Cotter 44.

Each of the arms 36 'oarriesoJ pivoiiefipawl 45 (see Fig. li) which is pivoted for free outward movement mit for limied baekvi'ard movement, whereby as' the arms 36 swing backward over the pins 20, diie,- to

vghe reoiprocation of the' Pour 4() by rod 34,

the pawls 45 Will ride' idly 'over said pins 20, but on being advanced in the 5.55%

opposite directionk by the arms 55' wiii `engage said pinsanfi ihereby roisie the frames 19 and the shafts i?. Preliniiiisiiy, *e

hoivever, to @zich advanced moreineni o armi 36 thelatohos 2l are 'iripiiei re m v by the Aaction of he psfvvis 15 in e upwardly projoiing ienge ai eiigefwiih reference so the direo'iiiin oi' farei o' thepswis whereby obviousiy are orowdeo foute/'ord .from en gageinen with diek corresponding pinsi):

Means is provided for ooporlioii Wiii the e-boveiiesoribecl 'driving ineens for siie piilpose of iotli reversing eiioli of slie sev'- erai panels and also shifting sind4 panels back and forth Afrom the two diiieieni; dis play positions at the opposie sitios 'oi ille i'ame 8, in which two display posiiions said ianels are, olovioiisiyj displayed in oppo- I`itely facing directions. Esch of the ioer pnel frames l0 is corrieri b f'zi `ain 50 whleli* iss-iournaled in one corner of e piste 5l sev 1 cnrl to the mrrespoiiciing;L siiefoi?, shown. in Eig.l Below eine niais eooii' pin is secure-d to a bar 52 which is sec'ireii rigidly to the corresponding soironi freine l() by means 'of posts 53,

there losing s pair of said pLstjS ior'ezieli pensi 9 und loeeie at the some' sideo izhe pivo pm 50 for pei'- iii bai-'52 tcp-.swing as one 'member ao'oui; seid pivot. At the opposite side of the pivot pin 50 ea'ch bar v52 is-provie with roiler f which is obiiged' to follow e-path in such 1274i. a manner 'as to cause the sign panel to es- 1' sume thevarious desired posiions in accord! ence with the-object oi the'invention. .Ac-V l' ,cordingly a plate is 'associated with eaoiil; ofV theisets of rollers-54' @nel fixed to the" frame 8 atthe lower enio-fet'io-'Sheitil This plate is provied with sngolixriy arranged sideedges, ss'sfiown. in Fig. i for the travel of the rollers 54 es the sign panels are shifted from' one display to the opposite 13pk `frame 8;

meente display position.- 1n the two display posi#` tions the plate is also provided with channel passages 56, midway of Twhich are Y"prot vided. recesses 57, for accommodating the rollers in the reversing movement of the panels, as also indicated in Fig. 4. The rolleror channel passages 56 are formed with curved and peculiarly shaped outer walls 58 for effecting the alinement of each pair of panels as they arrive ineither display positionne Well as also for initiating the reversing movement of said panels in each of said positions. For cooperating with the Walls 58 and the recesses 57' in .eilectinggr the reversal of the panels a pair of posts 59 is provided for each of the re casses 57 between which vposts the ends of the bars l0 are projected during the turning of the panel and thereby obliged to complete a full half turn before the corre# spending roller 54 can continue its course through the passage 56, `A preliminary directing movement is also imparted to each panel 9 and its roller 54 by means of a post 60, one of which posts provided at each end of a bar 6l extendin obliquely of the frame and intersecting ie shaft 17;. .As shown in Fig. l these posts are carried in position for engaging the panels 9 outside the pivot pin 50 in Asuch a manner as to throw the opposite sides ofthe panels inwardly and bring their rollers 54 out of the passages 56 toward'he opposite side `of the As shown in Fig'. l, a. piurality of sign units of the character just described may be arranged for operation together, with the adjoining 'urrts displaying continuous reading. metter, 'libr 'Whichlpurpose the adjoining' units cooperate in forming words' or sentences, and if necessary theipanels of each unit may be so decorated or lettered as to conjointly form a word or designf As represented "in Fig'. 1 the several panels et each unit of the device are consecutively brought by the described operatinL means into coplanar relation in the two iferent display positions at the opposite sides of the frame, said panels conjointly forming a Word in each of the display positions. It

-is designed that each of the panels 9 be provided with display matter upon both of its opposite faces,the object being thatea-ch of said panels shall cooperate with both the preceding and the next following panels in forming the display matter exhibited by said panel in both positions for .which purpose it is ofcourse necessary to display both faces of each panel in each displpy position and also to shift said panels from one si e to the other into each of said display posit-ions. y

Starting with the parts as illustrated in Fig. 2 for their initial position, the four panels of each unit are given a partial turn and succee position into the opposite display position- This is f on the other side 4of the frame 8.

done, it will be understood, Without roven*- ins; thepanels position, the `movement of the same taking place bodily fromA one die play position to the other, and displaying;

in the latter position the opposite face of the panel from that which was displayed .in

the lirst display position. At the saine time` the other panel of each pair is moved intel.

the'place vacated bythe first panel but its; position is reversed, due to a semi-rotation" of said panel being effected by its roller 54 "and the engagement of its bottom frame ber 10 between the corresponding 59,511@ the action of the outer Iwall 58 ofthe roller passage 56. The same operationftakes ,place -at both sides of the device, and is repea'ted'l' for each successive operation o -the' drive mechanism. What takes place with refer'- ence to the changein the' reading metter on the,q sign during the succes-sire -changes may .be more readily understood by refer ence to the diagram outlined in Fig. 7 forA the purpose of showing a set of four panels having' each Aface thereof providedl vWith reading matter or characters of'such a na- -ture as to read in conjunction with the characters appearing on both the preceding 3 panels. With each unit comprising r panels bearingcharacters on both faces as indicated in Fig. 7, it will be apparent that the four names or words formed by the several combinations of the different panels'will be consecutively disu played in both of the display positions at the opposite sides of the device. In the example illustrated in Fig. 7, the panels are lettered to display consecutively the Words JOHN, MA RK, SETI-I, andF'RED- and each of the panels bears on its opposite vfaces a portion of each of two of these IWords; 'foi1 example, one` of the panels bears the letters ."SE and the letters RK for dis laying the names SETH and MARI respectively in coperation with the next 'preceding and the next following panels. in Fig. 7, the

In thc position-illustrated at (al enel in question bearing the/ characters S miind RK forms the Wordy SETI-l in conjunction ``with the preceding panel in one display poition, Whlle in` the M opposite display position the Word JOHN is formed by the other two panels. Followin'g'zthe operation of. the drive mecha "nism, 'the mnel bearing the characters SE site disrand RK is transferred to the o F in Fig.

play position as illustrated at ,Where it displays the characters RK for exhibiting, in conjunction with the other panel .dm

tion thepanel just referred to as having;v

."` 'been reversed is likewise transferred into the otherdisplay` position, where it againcof operates with the receding panel to exhibit lthe'^\v?o rd SET l inthe second display position. Similar operations occur with refereceto all four panels of the series,-

With the result that all ionr words possible with the combinations afforded by said 'panels are exhibited consecutively in each of the two diii'erent display positions 'as will be readily understood by inspection of 'F ig. .7, illustrating the complete cycle of operationfor one unit of the device.

It is furthermore apparent, on following the successive movements of the panels as partially indicated in'Fig. 4c thatu clearance as to be provided between tbe pins and 525 the-shaft 17 for only that portion of the panel which is provided with the roller 54 @ndthat consequently the portion of the panel between its outer edge andthe pvot 50 may be made-ol any Width desired, this '30 being due to the fact that, in general, the

-movementI of the panel in being shifted from place to place upon the shalt 17 taires place with its side carrying 'the .roller 54: Y maintained practically constantly in posi tion betweenthe shalt l? and the pivot 450 of the panel. Thus no limitv Whatever is rcquired as to the size, 'i'. e. the Width of the panel and this may be made oft-any extent ,-Qflesired. I tjis alsoobvions that the number y 10,; of units orfindividual assemblies oi." panels may be mitipliedto anydesired extent, as for forminga billboard of any considerl'able size, allofthe'nnits being actuated by a common drive mechanism. In lthis con- ?4'5* nection it may also be pointed out thatA the .number of panels comprising each of the "units or assembliesabout anyV one axis or shaftv 17 lmay also-rbc.` any number desired "provided it "be an" evennlnnber 'of sections 50 or panels. "F or example, place oft the four; panels operating as shown, with each 5 operation resulting in 'the transfer of a panel from each ydisplay position indirectly :tinto tbe'opposite-- display position, the con- 56, struction maybe-.amplified by the introduc- `:.tion ofintermedi'atepanels.between tbe two displaypositions in ,the operation of 'which I the :transfer of a panel from a display position .in `the direction pf the'op'posite display position lWill,resultlln suclifpanel passing `t rough'an intermedigefinoperative posi- V tionprio'r toyitslater-movement into its sec 'ond'dis'play positioxiaftbe remaining featurejof-the'gperation, would of course re- *6 main thegexxiefthis increase in tbe number that display position,v the 4 Word4 MR/K. In the other `display position', however, the preceding panel has been rel" ieams ing tbe proposed features ofv improvement, and While l have illustrated what I now re- ,aard .as the preferred form. oi" construction, l

I desire to especially reserve the right to maltesucn changes and modifications as may fairly fall 'Within the scope of the ollovsfingd claims.

What l claim is: v

l. A changeable sign comprising a vsupporting structure, a movable panel carried. by said structure and movable bodily with reference thereto, said panel being pivoted for rotary movement independent of the bodily movement of the panel, and means 'lor bodily shifting saidpanel from one osition-v into another position displaced om yand adjoining its position'and inthe same plane While simultaneously producing, a semi-rotation of the panel about its pivotal axis for reversin the panel; y 2. 'A changeab e sign comprising a supe porting structure, a pair of movable panels carried by said strndtnre and movable bodily with reference thereto, said panels being separately pivoted for individual rotary movement independent of the bodily movement 'of tbe panels, and means Vfor movin said panels into coplanar I relation, sai means operating thereafter to displaceone of said panels 'with the other panel with the latter in reversed position.v

3. A changeable sign comprising a snpporting structure providing display positions facing in opposite directions, a pair of movable panels carried by saidv structure, in

copianar relation. in each of said positions,

tions facing in opposite directions, a niovable panel carried by vsaid ,structure and means operating to shift saidl panel by mov- (ingtbe same bodily backward from one dis;V

play position into the other display position parallel to the rst, said means" actingto pre#l sentdtlielopp'site faces of said panel in said' first and' sesxind positions, respglvelyv. jff changeable sign' comprising sup'- porting structure a plurality of playable panels carried by said str uctire, inea-ns for moving pair of said-panels wplaner relation, said means opertmg themtions structure, .means for bodily movin man.

after to displace one of said pair of panels With the other of said pair, with vthe latter' panel in reversed position and sim'lta-neously moving another panell into ccplanar .relation lwlth said reversed panel.

6. 'A changeable sign comprising a supportln l acing in opposite directions, a plurality of movable panels carried by said structure, means of removing a pair of said panels into coplanar relation 'in each of said positions, said means operating further to simultaneously displace one panel of each pair with its companion panel with the latter in reversed position, While simultaneously moving other panels into the positions 'vacated by said reversed panels.

7. A changeable sign comprising a snpporting structure providing separate and spaced display positions facing in opposite directions, a movable panel carried by said said panel successively from one of said isplay positions to the other and acting to. reverse said panel while occupying each of said positions and between the successive bodily movements of the panel.

structure providing' display posi-v 8. Achangeable sign comprising a snp portln structure providing display posivtions 'acing in opposite directions,- a plurality of panels carried by said structure and moving in a serie-s successively into said display positions with a pair of said panels conjointly occupying said positions at intex-vals, and means for intermittenti removing one o f the panels from each sii, said positions and simultaneously reversing and shifting the other panel of that pair in `place of the removed panels, said means acting member during the display intervals of said panels, said rotating means operating to trip said latching means for permitting ro tary movement of said member.

In Witness whereof affix my signature.

WILLIAM TEDFORD ROGERS.

atv 

